Multiple conductor strip and method of making the same



March 3, 1931. 1.. CARUSO 1,794,831

MULTIPLE CONDUCTOR STRIP AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Jan. 19, 1929 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY Patented Mar. 3, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOUIS CABUSO, OF IBVING'ION, NEW JERSEY, AS SIGNOR TO THE LIONEL CORPORA- TION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CQBPORATION OF NEW YORK I'UL'IIPLECONDUCTOB STBIF AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Application filed January 19, 1929. Serial No. 838,583..

The present invention relates to multiple conductor strips and methods of making the same, and is more particularly directed toward the provision of multiple conductor strips suitable for use in electrical apparatus wherein it is desirable to simultaneously make a number of electrical connections.

The present invention contemplates the manufacture of a multiple conductor strip out of a single sheet metal stamping of the desired size and configuration and to which is attached one or two sheets of insulating material. In practicing the invention, the metal part is stamped or punched tohave the desired shape and to provide it with a number of slots of such confi ration that bridging members are provide between the slots an the peripheral edges of the stamping. These bridging members can be punched away so that the original sheet of conducting material will become a plurality of conducting strips. This punching operation takes place after the strip with the original punchings has been secured to the insulating supporting sheets. After the bridging members have been removed as just mentioned, the insulating sheets serve to support the conducting strips spaced from one another. The completed multiple conductor strip may be handled as a unit without any danger of the separate conductors sliding or moving out of lace.

While the present invention may be employed in making up conducting strips suit-* able for general application, a suitable strip for employment in connecting the reversing switch of a toy electric locomotive with the field and armature terminals will be described, together with the method of making such a strip.

The accompanying drawings show, for purposes of illustrating the present invention, one of the many possible forms of conducting strips which may be produced together with a method for making such a strip, it being understood that the drawings are illustrative of the invention rather than limit the same.

In these drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a stamping punched to a predetermined sha c;

Figure 2 is a perspective view 0 the conducting strip of Figure 1 interposed between two sheets of insulating material;

Figure 3 is an elevational view with parts broken away showing a completed strip; and Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view.

The multiple conducting strip to be described in detail is one which as above described, is especially designed to fit a toy electric locomotive. It is provided with four separate conductors adapted to connect the four terminals of a reversing switch with the brush and field terminals of the motor so as to effect a reversal of the motor.

In the locomotive in which the present strip is intended to be used, the reversing switch has four terminals spaced as indicated at 10, 11, 12 and 13 and the brush rigging terminals are spaced as indicated at 16 and 17, while the field terminals are spaced as indicated at 14 and 15. To control the motor, it is necessary to have separate conductmg connections between the terminals on the reversing switch and the brush and armature terminals on the motor.

To make up the multiple conductor strip, astamping will be punched to the shape indicated in Figure *1, it being large enough to include screw receiving holes spaced as indicated by the reference characters 10 to 17 inclusive, and to have material surroundmg these holes. In the particular form here shown, the metal stamping is provided with three longitudinally extending slots 20, 21, and 22 and two shorter curved slots 23 and 24 These slots are punched so as to provide brldglng portions 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 and 32.

o This stamped or punched sheet of metal 1s placedbetween pieces of insulating mater al ind cated at 35 and 36. These pieces of msulatlng material have a configuration somewhat the same as that of the conducting strip but are made larger than the conductlng strip so as to have margins all the way around the metal member. The strips 35 and 36 may be made out of impregnated cloth or other suitable material, cloth being referred where the completed stri nt. These strips are also punched with holes indicated at 37 which holes register with the holes 10 to' 17, inclusive.

The strip of conducting material and the two strips of insulating material are secured together by suitable adhesive which will cause the two parts of insulating material to adhere very closely and to hold the conducting strips in place. As the insulating strip is larger than the conducting strip, the marginal edges of the insulating strips will be stuck together directly without any interposed metal and thiswill cover and protect the edges of the com leted strip.

After the three sheets ave been secured together as has been described, the composite sheet is then placed in the punch and holes 25, 26', 27, 28', 29, 30', 31' and 32 are punched through all three sheets so as to leave holes as indicated. This punching operation removes the bridges 25 to. 32, inelusive, and there now remain four conducting strips indicated by the letters a, b, c and d. It will be noted that the strip a has the apertures 11 and 17 thatthe strip 6 has the apertures 10and 14, that the strip 0 has the apertures 12 and 16 and that the strip at has the apertures 13 and 15. The completed strip therefore is capable of connecting u the four terminals of the reversing switc to the four terminals forming the brush and armature connections.

When the deviceis made up for the particular use which has been above mentioned, it is preferably made with fabric insulating material. It may then be readily bent after it has been completed so as to fit the motor. For example, such bending may take place along the broken line B--B without any way affecting the conductors or causin them to tend to move toward one another. 11 the completed stri the conductors are securely held in lace y the adhered insulated material w ich passes through the slots and hence holds the conductors securely in all directions. Where the device is to be employed in certain locations, such as indicated, the holes employed in the metal strip are preferably drawn out as indicated at 35 to provide sli ht tubular portions 38 which extend throug the fabric layer and facilitate the making of good contact with the ter minal to which the strip is to be employed.

It is obvious that the invention may be embodied in many forms and constructions, and I wish it to be understood that the particular form shown, is but one of the many forms. Various modifications and changes being possible, I do not limit myself in any way with respect thereto. I claim:

1. The method of making multiple conductor strips which consists in skeletonizing a piece of sheet metal securing the skeletonis to be and punching izedsheet to a sheet of insulating material holes'through the two sheets to cut away sheet and have a plurality of separated conducting strips supported by the insulating sheet.

2. The method of making multiple conductor strips which consists in skeletonizing a piece of sheet metal securing the skeletonized sheet between two sheets of insulating material and punching holes through all the sheets to cut away brid 'ng portions of the metal sheet and have a p urality of separated conductingstrips supported between the two insulating sheets. i

3. The method of making a multiple conductor strip which consists in punching a sheet of metal to form a plurality of slots and to give the sheet a predetermined configuration, securing two sheets of insulating material to the opposite sides of the sheet metal element, and punching holes through all the the sheets to remove bridging portions of the metal sheet and form the metal into separate conducting strips.

4. The method of making a multiple conductor strip which consists in punching out a long skeletonized metal strip to have slots extending lengthwise of the strip and bridg ing members between the slots and the outer edge of the strip, securing the punching between two sheets of insulatin material and punching holes through said s eets to remove the bridging members.

5. The method of making a multiple conducting strip which consists in punching a sheet of metal to have a predetermined configuration, a plurality of terminal receiving holes and a plurality of slots terminatin in bridging members whereby the skeletonized punching retains its form and the parts are spaced by the slots, lacing the punch ng between sheets of insu ating material coated with an' adhesive, allowing the adhesive to dry, and then punchin away the bridging portion to provide con uctors extending between selected terminal holes.

6. The method of making a multiple conducting strip which consists in assembling into a unit a composite stri of insulating sheet material and a skeletonized sheet metal stamping, and punching holes through the composite strip so that the skeletonized sheet becomes a plurality of separate straps each supported in place between the insulating sheets.

Signed at Irvington, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, this 11th day of January, 1929. v

' LOUIS CARUSO.

ridging portions of the m tal 

